Whats that Skip, you want a double mocha decaf half caf soy latte with a twist of lemon?

Well you can’t because Urban Rustic is closed today. But you can have this original Bessemer melamine mug from the 70’s. The one on top is mine, it’s quite fuzzy and faded from years of Milo addiction [not for sale] the bottom one’s in great shape. Considering.
Want? $25 + post. Hop to it.

And if you are wondering what the flaming heck I am talking about Ailsa?

The story you are about to witness is true. It actually happened. Only the names have been changed to make it funny…

Sitting at home last Sunday morning, me mate boomerang
Said he was having a few people around for a barbie, said he might kookaburra or two
I said, “Sounds great, will Wallaby there?”
He said, “Yeah and Vegemite come too”
So I said to the wife, “Do you wanna goanna?”
She said, “I’ll go if dingos”
So I said, “Wattle we do about Nulla?”
He said, “Nullabors me to tears, leave him at home”

We got to the party about two and walked straight out the kitchen to put some booze in the fridge
And you wouldn’t believe it, there’s Boomer’s wife Warra sitting there trying to platypus!
Now, I don’t like to speak Illawarra, but I was shocked; I mean how much can a koala bear?
So I grabbed a beer, flashed me Wangaratta and went out and joined the party

Pretty soon Ayers Rocks in and things really started jumping
This Indian girl Marsu turns up, dying to go to the toilet, but she couldn’t find it
I said to me mate Al, “Hey, where can marsupial?”
He said “She can go outback with the fellas, she’s probably seen a cockatoo”

Well just then Warra comes out of the kitchen with a few drinks for everybody
Fair dinkum, you’ve never seen a Coolabah maid
I grabbed a beer and said, “Thanks Warra – tah”

A couple of Queensland at the party, one smelling pretty strongly of aftershave
One of them sat down next to me and I turned to him and I said, “Ya know mate, Eureka Stockade!”

It was a really hot day; Oscar felt like a swim
He said to Ina, “Do you want a have a dip in the Riverina?”
She said, “I haven’t got my Kosciusko”
Well Bo says, “Come in starkers, Wattle Lake Eyre!”
Ina says, “What, without so much as a Thredbo?”
“Ah, Perisher thought! Has Eucumbene in yet?”

Well a few of the blokes decided to play some cricket
Boomer says “Why doesn’t wombat?”
“Yeah, and let Tenterfield”
He said I should have a bowl, but I was too out of it to play cricket so I suggested a game of cards
I said to Lyptus, “Wanna game of eucalyptus?”
He said, “There’s no point mate, Darwins every time”

Well Bill said he’d like a smoke
Nobody knew where the dope was stashed
I said, “I think Merinos”
But I was just spinning a bit of a yarn
Barry pulls a joint out of his pocket
Bill says “Great, Barrier Reefer, what is it mate?”
“Noosa Heads of course. Me mate Adelaide ’em on me”
And it was a great joint too, Blue Mountains away and his Three Sisters

Well I thought I’d roll one meself, I said, “Chuck us the Tally Hobart”
He said “They’re out on the Laun, Ceston, can you get ’em for us?”
Burnie says, “It’s okay mate, she’s apples, I’ll get em for ya”

Just then Alice Springs into action, starts to pack billabong
And you wouldn’t believe it, the bong’s broken
I said “Lord Howe!”
“Hayman,” somebody says, “will a didgeridoo?”
I said “Hummmmm, mummmm, mummmmm, mummmmm, maybe it’ll have to”

I look in the corner and there’s Bass sitting there, not getting into it, not getting out of it
I said, “What, is Bass Strait or something?”
Boomer says, “As a matter a fact mate, he’s a cop”
I said, “You’re joking mate, a cop? I’m getting outta here, let’s goanna”
She said, “No way, I’m hangin round till Gum leaves. Besides, I don’t wanna leave Jacaranda party on his own
Have you seen him? I think he’s trying to crack on Toowoomba; he’s already tried to Mount Isa
And he’ll definitely try to lead you Australiana!”

Apparently. According to Holly Hobbie, uber earnest maxi-bonnet wearing writer/character from the 1970s. My oldest sister had a rag doll. I wished I did. There were others but I only collect the blue girl.

Yeah they are quite twee but sometimes in the battle of nostalgia versus design, innocent memories win. As they should. Who wants to live in a meaningless catalogue of objects?

Like this:

It’s Thursday, it’s also my Birthday tomorrow. So I am recycling again, any excuse to take a shortcut…Here’s my Throwback.

This was my 7th Birthday present from my mum and as I recall The Best Gift Ever! And a total surprise.
I remember coming home from school one day and finding Albert on the kitchen table and not thinking much of it. Obviously he had just had a sitting. He was my best friend and the reason I am not so fond of cats. [Tragically, devastatingly killed some years later by our neighbour’s semi-feral feline.]

I haven’t had this on display for years as I

a] grew up

and

b] became unhappy with the mock ornate frame but now I love the irony of it’s fancy-ness.
It’s kind of the Mona Lisa of pet portraits.

Like this:

So maybe I am crazy. Defiinitely nostalgic. I certainly don’t need to take on any further collections in this jumbled headspace but when I stumbled upon a few anodised pieces all at once, it seemed like the thrifting universe was talking to me.

Mixed up? Yes. Delusional even.

It does remind me of my childhood. Those stacking tumblers. Remember them? In a cute little vinyl case with a zipper. I passed up a set not so long ago for $10 because the cups inside where in a terrible, corroded state, then I was filled with that annoying state of mind I always seem to experience. Regret. Not for the things I buy, but for the times I put the WRONG thing down.

Not so much time later I found a reasonably priced decent condition set of cups, with no case. Arrh! The irony. [Aluminium actually]

So anyway, moving on….

The red Prestige [UK] ice bucket is sold already.
The wine cooler reminds me of my father for some reason. Not that he was into wine at all, [my parents were teetotallers, whatever that means] but there must have been something years ago anodised with this gorgeous shiny blue stripeyness. It says Alf to me. That’s my Dad. Flaming Heck, can you get a funnier name than that? I think not.

There was, of course, in my mid-century decorated family bungalow a set of twin anodised bedside lights clamped onto the veneered parental bedhead. In bronze. There was also a chenille bedspread. And as you may, or may not recall, a fat baby Elvis girl. But thats another story…

So here it is. All out there for all to see. The extent of my psycho-anodising.
Am I cured? Who knows? I’m letting it go, so that’s a good sign, isn’t it?